In ws.com, on 07/16/03
at 07:46 PM, said:

With the hysteria over West Nile virus, localities are spraying to kill
mosquitos. How does this spraying affect ponds, if at all?

Here's a reply to my own message - I had sent an email to the MD Dept. of
Agriculture re this issue. This is the part of the reply that answers the
question with regard to the sprays Maryland uses. The fish kill in my
pond refers to a couple of years ago, when one day I went down to the pond
and all the fish were dead or dying, and there was an oily slick on the
water - I thought mosquito spraying might have caused it:

begin quoted material

I talked to Michael Cantwell, MDA mosquito control entomologist who
supervises the program in Baltimore County, to determine if Kimberleigh
was in the program in the past. According to Mr. Cantwell, your community
has not been enrolled in the mosquito control program since the MDA took
over responsibility for mosquito control in Baltimore County several years
ago.I am sorry for the loss of the fish in your pond, but it does not
appear that MDA's mosquito control program was at fault for their death.

The insecticides used for mosquito control in Baltimore County include:
Vectobac and Vectolex bacterial insecticides for control of mosquito
larvae, methoprene, an insect juvenile hormone mimic also for larval
control and two adult mosquito control insecticides: permethrin and
sumithrin which are synthetic pyrethrins.

The bacterial products and methoprene are fairly specific against mosquito
larvae and the larvae of a few other aquatic flies.

Permethrin and sumithrin will kill other small flying insects, similar in
size to mosquitoes, but not larger flying insects or ground dwelling
insects such as crickets, beetles, etc. These products are nonresidual and
quickly breakdown to nontoxic products in the presence of sunlight, water
and microbial action.

end quoted material


Alan

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